太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > life is a dream >

第6节

life is a dream-第6节

小说: life is a dream 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




Has ta'en the chair that you were born to fill。



SEG。

The chair?



CHAMB。

The royal throne of Poland; Sir;

Which may your Royal Highness keep as long

As he that now rules from it shall have ruled

When heaven has call'd him to itself。



SEG。

When he?



CHAMB。

Your royal father; King Basilio; Sir。



SEG。

My royal fatherKing Basilio。

You see I answer but as Echo does;

Not knowing what she listens or repeats。

This is my thronethis is my palaceOh;

But this out of the window?



CHAMB。

Warsaw; Sir;

Your capital



SEG。

And all the moving people?



CHAMB。

Your subjects and your vassals like ourselves。



SEG。

Ay; aymy subjectsin my capital

Warsawand I am Prince of itYou see

It needs much iteration to strike sense

Into the human echo。



CHAMB。

Left awhile

In the quick brain; the word will quickly to

Full meaning blow。



SEG。

You think so?



CHAMB。

And meanwhile

Lest our obsequiousness; which means no worse

Than customary honour to the Prince

We most rejoice to welcome; trouble you;

Should we retire again? or stand apart?

Or would your Highness have the music play

Again; which meditation; as they say;

So often loves to float upon?



SEG。

The music?

Noyesperhaps the trumpet

(Aside)

Yet if that

Brought back the troop!



A LORD。

The trumpet! There again

How trumpet…like spoke out the blood of Poland!



CHAMB。

Before the morning is far up; your Highness

Will have the trumpet marshalling your soldiers

Under the Palace windows。



SEG。

Ah; my soldiers

My soldiersnot black…vizor'd?



CHAMB。

Sir?



SEG。

No matter。

Butone thingfor a momentin your ear

Do you know one Clotaldo?



CHAMB。

Oh; my Lord;

He and myself together; I may say;

Although in different vocations;

Have silver'd in your royal father's service;

And; as I trust; with both of us a few

White hairs to fall in yours。



SEG。

Well said; well said!

Basilio; my fatherwellClotaldo

Is he my kinsman too?



CHAMB。

Oh; my good Lord;

A General simply in your Highness' service;

Than whom your Highness has no trustier。



SEG。

Ay; so you said before; I think。 And you

With that white wand of yours

Why; now I think on't; I have read of such

A silver…hair'd magician with a wand;

Who in a moment; with a wave of it;

Turn'd rags to jewels; clowns to emperors;

By some benigner magic than the stars

Spirited poor good people out of hand

From all their woes; in some enchanted sleep

Carried them off on cloud or dragon…back

Over the mountains; over the wide Deep;

And set them down to wake in Fairyland。



CHAMB。

Oh; my good Lord; you laugh at meand I

Right glad to make you laugh at such a price:

You know me no enchanter: if I were;

I and my wand as much as your Highness';

As now your chamberlain



SEG。

My chamberlain?

And these that follow you?



CHAMB。

On you; my Lord;

Your Highness' lords in waiting。



SEG。

Lords in waiting。

Well; I have now learn'd to repeat; I think;

If only but by roteThis is my palace;

And this my thronewhich unadvisedAnd that

Out of the window there my Capital;

And all the people moving up and down

My subjects and my vassals like yourselves;

My chamberlainand lords in waitingand

Clotaldoand Clotaldo?

You are an aged; and seem a reverend man

You do notthough his fellow…officer

You do not mean to mock me?



CHAMB。

Oh; my Lord!



SEG。

Well thenIf no magician; as you say;

Yet setting me a riddle; that my brain;

With all its senses whirling; cannot solve;

Yourself or one of these with you must answer

How Ithat only last night fell asleep

Not knowing that the very soil of earth

I lay downchain'dto sleep upon was Poland

Awake to find myself the Lord of it;

With Lords; and Generals; and Chamberlains;

And ev'n my very Gaoler; for my vassals!



Enter suddenly Clotaldo



CLOTALDO。

Stand all aside

That I may put into his hand the clue

To lead him out of this amazement。 Sir;

Vouchsafe your Highness from my bended knee

Receive my homage first。



SEG。

Clotaldo! What;

At lasthis old selfundisguised where all

Is masqueradeto end it!You kneeling too!

What! have the stars you told me long ago

Laid that old work upon you; added this;

That; having chain'd your prisoner so long;

You loose his body now to slay his wits;

Dragging himhow I know notwhither scarce

I understanddressing him up in all

This frippery; with your dumb familiars

Disvizor'd; and their lips unlock'd to lie;

Calling him Prince and King; and; madman…like;

Setting a crown of straw upon his head?



CLO。

Would but your Highness; as indeed I now

Must call youand upon his bended knee

Never bent Subject more devotedly

However all about you; and perhaps

You to yourself incomprehensiblest;

But rest in the assurance of your own

Sane waking senses; by these witnesses

Attested; till the story of it all;

Of which I bring a chapter; be reveal'd;

Assured of all you see and hear as neither

Madness nor mockery



SEG。

What then?



CLO。

All it seems:

This palace with its royal garniture;

This capital of which it is the eye;

With all its temples; marts; and arsenals;

This realm of which this city is the head;

With all its cities; villages; and tilth;

Its armies; fleets; and commerce; all your own;

And all the living souls that make them up;

From those who now; and those who shall; salute you;

Down to the poorest peasant of the realm;

Your subjectsWho; though now their mighty voice

Sleeps in the general body unapprized;

Wait but a word from those about you now

To hail you Prince of Poland; Segismund。



SEG。

All this is so?



CLO。

As sure as anything

Is; or can be。



SEG。

You swear it on the faith

You taught meelsewhere?



CLO (kissing the hilt of his sword)。

Swear it upon this Symbol;

and champion of the holy faith

I wear it to defend。



SEG (to himself)。

My eyes have not deceived me; nor my ears;

With this transfiguration; nor the strain

Of royal welcome that arose and blew;

Breathed from no lying lips; along with it。

For here Clotaldo comes; his own old self;

Who; if not Lie and phantom with the rest

(Aloud)

Well; then; all this is thus。

For have not these fine people told me so;

And you; Clotaldo; sworn it? And the Why

And Wherefore are to follow by and bye!

And yetand yetwhy wait for that which you

Who take your oath on it can answerand

Indeed it presses hard upon my brain

What I was asking of these gentlemen

When you came in upon us; how it is

That Ithe Segismund you know so long

No longer than the sun that rose to…day

Roseand from what you know

Rose to be Prince of Poland?



CLO。

So to be

Acknowledged and entreated; Sir。



SEG。

So be

Acknowledged and entreated

WellBut if now by all; by some at least

So knownif not entreatedheretofore

Though not by youFor; now I think again;

Of what should be your attestation worth;

You that of all my questionable subjects

Who knowing what; yet left me where I was;

You least of all; Clotaldo; till the dawn

Of this first day that told it to myself?



CLO。

Oh; let your Highness draw the line across

Fore…written sorrow; and in this new dawn

Bury that long sad night。



SEG。

Not ev'n the Dead;

Call'd to the resurrection of the blest;

Shall so directly drop all memory

Of woes and wrongs foregone!



CLO。

But not resent

Purged by the trial of that sorrow past

For full fruition of their present bliss。



SEG。

But leaving with the Judge what; till this earth

Be cancell'd in the burning heavens; He leaves

His earthly delegates to execute;

Of retribution in reward to them

And woe to those who wrong'd themNot as you;

Not you; Clotaldo; knowing notAnd yet

Ev'n to the guiltiest wretch in all the realm;

Of any treason guilty short of that;

Stern usagebut assuredly not knowing;

Not knowing 'twas your sovereign lord; Clotaldo;

You used so sternly。



CLO。

Ay; sir; with the same

Devotion and fidelity that now

Does homage to him for my sovereign。



SEG。

Fidelity that held his Prince in chains!



CLO。

Fidelity more fast than had it loosed him



SEG。

Ev'n from the very dawn of consciousness

Down at the bottom of the barren rocks;

Where scarce a ray of sunshine found him out;

In which the poorest beggar of my realm

At least to human…full proportion grows

Me! Mewhose station was the kingdom's top

To flourish in; reaching my head to heaven;

And with my branches overshadowing

The meaner growth below!



CLO。

Still with the same

Fidelity



SEG。

To me!



CLO。

Ay; sir; to you;

Through that divine allegiance upon which

All Order and Authority is based;

Which to revolt against



SEG。

Were to revolt

Against the stars; belike!

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的